I was 4th Eng on the MV Cretic 1967 and we were coming into Lyttleton after a smooth trip from Brisbane.
The trip had been pretty smooth apart from the starboard Doxford had three scavenge fires on my watch the night before.(doesnt a six cylinder sound lumpy when three cylinders have the fuel turned off.)
We always rang the chief to advise him when the bridge rang down and annouced it was two hours before standby was rung. He would instruct us to keep the revs up until one hours notice was given then we would bring the revs down to 80 rpm.These two Doxfords had a critical rev range around 87 - 90 rpm and we drop thru this range fairly quickly.
I took the one hour call from the bridge then notified the chief. With the other two engineers on watch with me we started to prepare the engine room for the standby ring on the telegraphs.
We had just got both engines thru the critical speed when the engine telegraphs swung to "Full Astern". These were promptly answered and the Junior headed for the air bottles isolation valves. We pulled the fuel off both engines and I hit the panic bells.
Once we had starting air we stalled both engines as the propellers were still turning the engines over. Once we had done this we placed the engines in Astern postion and applied starting air along with fuel.
By this time the rest of the engineers were coming down the ladders and the first ones were passing thru the middles of the engine. With the fuel going on most of the cylinder relief valves lifted on both engines. There were a few stunned looking engineers arriving on the plates.
Did the chief do his nut at us but when he saw the telegraphs in the astern postion he took off for the bridge.
Evidently a observant Deck cadet noticed the Lyttleton Pilot of to Starboard and mentioned to the mate should he stop the ship which he did. Because we had answered the telegraphs so quickly the mate hadnt heard them.
Thus we came to a screaming stop.
Poor old chief got no change from the Captain and was ordered from the bridge.
Just love those Doxfords.
The trip had been pretty smooth apart from the starboard Doxford had three scavenge fires on my watch the night before.(doesnt a six cylinder sound lumpy when three cylinders have the fuel turned off.)
We always rang the chief to advise him when the bridge rang down and annouced it was two hours before standby was rung. He would instruct us to keep the revs up until one hours notice was given then we would bring the revs down to 80 rpm.These two Doxfords had a critical rev range around 87 - 90 rpm and we drop thru this range fairly quickly.
I took the one hour call from the bridge then notified the chief. With the other two engineers on watch with me we started to prepare the engine room for the standby ring on the telegraphs.
We had just got both engines thru the critical speed when the engine telegraphs swung to "Full Astern". These were promptly answered and the Junior headed for the air bottles isolation valves. We pulled the fuel off both engines and I hit the panic bells.
Once we had starting air we stalled both engines as the propellers were still turning the engines over. Once we had done this we placed the engines in Astern postion and applied starting air along with fuel.
By this time the rest of the engineers were coming down the ladders and the first ones were passing thru the middles of the engine. With the fuel going on most of the cylinder relief valves lifted on both engines. There were a few stunned looking engineers arriving on the plates.
Did the chief do his nut at us but when he saw the telegraphs in the astern postion he took off for the bridge.
Evidently a observant Deck cadet noticed the Lyttleton Pilot of to Starboard and mentioned to the mate should he stop the ship which he did. Because we had answered the telegraphs so quickly the mate hadnt heard them.
Thus we came to a screaming stop.
Poor old chief got no change from the Captain and was ordered from the bridge.
Just love those Doxfords.